In a week full of news about James Holmes, the Clement murder case, parole violations and ongoing gun controversies, it’s tough to fit in all the health news. But both the state health exchange plans and Sen. Irene Aguilar’s proposal for universal state care made significant steps.

The exchange has all kinds of questions to answer between now and October 1, when its computer system will be open to the public to sign up for individual and small group insurance policies on the subsidized marketplace at the core of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. A bill is moving through the Legislature to allow the exchange to charge up to $1.80 per member per month to continue funding itself; those fees would be charged to the insurance companies selling policies on the exchange, but of course the consumer is likely to end up financing the fees one way or another. The exchange needs tens of millions of dollars a year to keep building and running its complex computer systems and manage the call centers where consumers will go for vital information. The federal grants that helped Colorado and other states start their own exchanges will be running out.

The state exchange also rushed to assure Colorado small businesses that it would have plenty of choices available for small group policies[1] beginning with October’s signups and then the Jan. 1 start-of-service date. A federal announcement that many exchanges would have only one insurance option for small businesses had sent ripples of worry through policy wonk and business lobbying communities. But that news applied only to the dozens of state exchanges that will be run by the federal government itself. Colorado is one of the few states forging ahead independently and apparently on schedule, and exchange officials said they already know small businesses here will have choices. Options will be in the “dozens”, Colorado said.

“Colorado is on track to help small employers provide a range of health plan options to employees” in October, exchange chief executive Patty Fontneau said in a release.

Sen. Aguilar’s bill, meanwhile, made it out of its first committee[2]. The bill would send to the people on the fall ballot the question of whether they want universal health coverage for all Coloradans, even residents who may be here illegally. If passed, the ballot measure would set up a new state entity to tax employees and employers specifically for health care, and seek waivers from the federal government to throw existing Medicaid and Medicare money into the pot. Aguilar says private insurance companies are free to help administer plans and build the provider networks while earning fees from the state, but all money would first go through the state as a single-payer.

The odds on Aguilar’s bill go down, though, as it progresses. Because it’s a referral to the people, the ballot measure requires two-thirds approval. That would mean cementing every Democrat’s vote, and adding a few Republicans. Even some of the Democrats we’ve spoken to, who are supportive of broadening the discussion about health care, say the topic may just be too big to take on in a session already dominated by gun issues, school funding, civil unions and questions about fracking and other topics. Progressive groups who might sympathize are also reluctant to give full support, as many want to work on implementing the already-complex requirements of 2010’s federal health reform measures.

[1] rushed to assure Colorado small businesses that it would have plenty of choices available for small group policies: http://http://www.getcoveredco.org/News-Events/Blog/April-2013/Supporting-Colorado%E2%80%99s-Small-Employers

[2] Sen. Aguilar’s bill, meanwhile, made it out of its first committee: http://http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2013a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/BBDE6CA6E7534F9987257A83006D05CC?Open&file=SCR002_01.pdf